International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol addressed world leaders on the progress the world has made on clean energy and the challenges it still faces to meet its energy and climate goals. He delivered a keynote speech last week at the COP27 World Leaders Summit plenary session in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, which was chaired by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz... [Read More]

The European Parliament and Council have agreed on stricter regulation of greenhouse gas emissions in member states including less flexibility and more transparency. As the UN COP27 climate conference has started in Egypt, Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional agreement on November 8 on a revision of the effort sharing regulation (ESR), which sets binding... [Read More]

ePURE has welcomed news from the European Parliament, Council and Commission which has provisionally agreed on the revision of the CO2 emission standards for cars and vans. The co-legislators backed a 100% reduction target to phase out the internal combustion engine by 2035 but did not entirely dismiss the contribution of renewable fuels. The agreement foresees that the... [Read More]

The EU Parliament and council reached a provisional agreement on revised carbon emissions reduction targets for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. EU negotiators secured an agreement with member states on the Commission’s original proposal to reach zero-emission road mobility by 2035. It is the first deal of the Fit for 55 package and a clear signal... [Read More]

Clariant has completed the acquisition of BASF’s US-based attapulgite business assets for $60 million (€60.5 million). The finalised deal also includes an agreement for the long-term supply of attapulgite-based products to BASF. Adsorbent clays, such as attapulgite, are an important enabler for growth in the purification of edible oils and renewable fuels. In... [Read More]

The European Parliament has adopted its position on European-wide rules to decarbonise the shipping sector with FuelEU Maritime. APAG, the European Oleochemicals Industry, has welcomed the efforts of the European Parliament to pave the way for industries to become climate neutral by 2050, but it has urged policymakers not to decarbonise one sector at the expense of another.... [Read More]

Neste’s board of directors has approved a merger plan where the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Neste Engineering Solutions will be merged into Neste Corporation. The merger took place on 30 September and it will only affect the Finnish operations. The entire personnel, approximately 750 professionals, will transfer to Neste Corporation. Contractual rights... [Read More]

India is reported to be considering forming an alliance of biofuels-producing countries that would facilitate technology transfer on advanced biofuels. India is keen that stronger international co-operation on biofuels is in place ahead of its hosting of the G20 summit next September, Fastmarkets reported. “We are looking at having some kind of international collaboration... [Read More]

Topsoe has announced its commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 - setting near-and long-term company-wide emission reduction targets. Through investment in renewable energy technology and changes to production processes, Topsoe aims to reduce operational emissions by 30% in 2024 and at least 95% in 2030, with a transition to 80% renewable power within all the... [Read More]

Shell has announced that Ben van Beurden will step down as CEO at the end of the year, and that his successor will be Wael Sawan. Wael’s appointment is effective on New Year’s Day when he will also join Shell’s board of directors. Van Beurden will continue working as adviser to the Board until June 30, 2023, after which he will leave the group. Shell’s chair... [Read More]

EWABA, the EU association representing the European waste-based and advanced biodiesel industry, has welcomed the European Parliament’s plenary vote on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) legislative proposal. The organisation said the industry welcomed the Parliament’s provision to increase the existing proposed limit to Annex IX Part B feedstocks... [Read More]

The European Parliament stressed the need for renewable energy to be increasingly used and energy consumption to be drastically slashed by 2030 during an historic vote. MEPs voted on September 14 to raise the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption to 45% by 2030, under the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) -a target also backed by the... [Read More]

The UAE has increased its greenhouse gas emission reduction target from 23.5% to 31% by 2030. The UAE cabinet, headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved an updated version of the UAE’s second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. In support of the objectives of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, the new document... [Read More]

Clean Fuels Alliance America has written to President Joe Biden and other administration officials to highlight the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry’s contribution to job growth in the clean energy sector. The letter also asks the administration to support tax policy that encourages continued investments, capacity expansion, and additional job creation. “The... [Read More]

The UK government revealed the Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) will align its measurement of the environmental credentials of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) with  sustainability rules that underpin the UK's biofuels policy until 2025. The UK ETS Authority confirmed airlines that wanted to claim a related emissions reduction under the scheme using SAF would have... [Read More]

International Energy Agency (IEA) executive director Fatih Birol has urged energy ministers from the world’s largest economies to prioritise actions to ensure secure, affordable and sustainable energy in response to the crisis the world currently faces. The top-level G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, held under the G20 Presidency of Indonesia,... [Read More]